2009

Trampling Out the Vintage featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, on KPFK and The Nation.com

The San Francisco Chronicle named the book one of its 100 recommended books of the year in its December 25th issue and offered praise for the book:

Bardacke has written what bids to become the union's definitive history.

Frank Bardacke was interviewed by KPFK's Jon Wiener, who called the book "a masterpiece of sorts, on the order of Parting of the Waters by Taylor Branch." The interview aired on KPFK on January 5th and was also posted on The Nation magazine's website. A sample from this lively and informative discussion:

Q: What is the significance of this story for what's left of the labor movement today?

A: There's no substitute for democracy. That's the major lesson of the UFW experience. Democracy inside unions might be difficult and seem like a waste of time, but it's only through democratic debate that people build the kind of commitment that is necessary to stand together. The UFW had no locals. That was a tremendous mistake. There's no substitute for face to face debate, people having direct control over their local union affairs. That's the way you build strength.